Benfica president Rui Costa has confirmed a bid has been received for Joao Neves, who has been linked with Manchester United, Arsenal and PSG.
- Neves wanted by elite European clubs
- Has €120m release clause in his contract
- Benfica might accept lower offer
WHAT HAPPENED?
Neves is one of the most in-demand players in Europe and could well leave Benfica this summer. The club's president, Costa, has admitted that the Portuguese side are discussing a bid that was made in the last few days, and that they would even be prepared to accept an offer below Neves' €120 million (£101m/$130m) release clause.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Neither the value nor the source of the offer has been revealed, but it's possible to take a guess at where it came from. Costa appears to be referring to PSG's reported €70 million (£59m/$76m) proposal, while it was also claimed last month that United and Arsenal were ready to make an offer for the midfielder.
WHAT COSTA SAID
"I never said that Joao Neves would only leave for his release clause and therefore, those claims are false," Costa said, per A Bola. "What I can say in relation to Joao Neves is that there is an offer on the table. That has been in the news in the last days but I’m not going to say where this proposal stands.
“There is a proposal on the table which is being evaluated and is being discussed. But at this moment, Joao Neves remains a Benfica player. It’s not that I want to hide the ins and outs because I understand that Benfica fans want to know whether Joao will be leaving or not.
“But at this moment, there are ongoing negotiations, so please allow me to be reserved about this subject so we can take care of what will be best outcome for Benfica.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Neves, 19, enjoyed a breakout 2023-24 season, earning a place in the Primeira Liga Team of the Year and appearing twice for Portugal at Euro 2024.
WHAT NEXT FOR BENFICA AND NEVES?
Costa's admission that clubs don't have to meet Neves' release clause could be met with a wave of new approaches. It would seem that PSG are leading the way, with United focusing on Manuel Ugarte and Arsenal likely unable to compete financially with the French club, but there's no question Benfica would welcome a bidding war for their young phenom.
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